Power operated grapple tong



A ril 12, 1966 J. H. MITCHELL 3,245,712

POWER OPERATED GRAPPLE TONG Filed July 21, 1964 John H Mitchell IN VENTOR.

non Fwy 19m United States Patent 3,245,712 POWER OPERATED GRAPPLE TONG John H. Mitchell, 512 Westeriy Drive, Aberdeen, Wash. Filed July 21, 1964, Ser. No. 384,157 12 Claims. (Cl. 294112) This invention comprises a novel and useful power operated grapple tong and more particularly pertains to a tong assembly supported by a pair of cables either one of which are both may be utilized to support the tong assembly and the load carried thereby, and which cables may be alternatively tensioned to effect opening and closing movement of the tongs. This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Serial No. 171,510 filed February 6, 1962, now abandoned, for Power Operated Grapple Tong.

The primary purpose of this invention is to provide a power operated grapple tong assembly whose operation may be controlled with ease and certainty and this regardless of the vertical movement or vertical position of the assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a power operated grapple tong assembly particularly adapted for use with supporting cables and wherein selective tensioning of the latter may be utilized as a power means to effect opening or closing of the jaws of the tongs.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tong assembly in accordance with the foregoing objects having replaceable jaws thereon.

A still further purpose of the invention is to provide va power operated grappling tong assembly in which the construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing a power operated grapple tong assembly in accordance with this invention with the jaws of the tongs being shown in their open position;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the arrangement of FIGURE 1, taken upon an enlarged scale and at one side of the latter;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the position of the tong assembly with its jaws in closed position;

FIGURE 4 is a detailed view taken in vertical transverse section substantially upon the plane indicated by section line 44 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating the pivotally mounted guide structure.

The power operated grapple tong assembly forming the subject matter of this invention is particularly adapted for use with supporting cables and wherein the supporting 3,245,712 Patented Apr. 12, 1966 cables are utilized to effect a positive opening or closing movement of the jaws of the tongs. The assembly in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises a pair of levers 10 and 12 which are connected by a pivot pin 14 intermediate their ends to thus divide the levers into a pair of actuating arms 16 and 18 respectively for the levers 10 and 12 and a pair of actuated arms 20 and 22 for the same levers. For convenience, the actuated arms may be arcuated so as to have concave portions facing each other in opposed relation for gripping an object therebetween upon closing movement of the levers.

The actuating arms 16 and 18 extend any desired distance beyond their pivotal connection at 14 and at their extremities are provided with pivotal pins 24 and 26. A pair of actuating links 28 and 30 have their upper and adjacent ends pivotally connected to each other as by a pivot pin 32 while the lower ends are connected by the above mentioned pivots 26 and 24 to the actuating arms 18 and 16, respectively. Also pivotally secured to the pair of actuating links at their common pivot 32 is a lifting bail 34 consisting of a pair of plate-like members each bearing the same number which are connected at their upper end by transverse pin 36. The pin 36 and the bail 34 may comprise an additional means whereby the entire tong assembly may be supported and lifted if desired.

Any or all of the pivot pins 14, 24, 26 and 32 may be provided with pulley sheaves as indicated at 38.

It will be appreciated that either of the actuated arms may be bifurcated to pivotally receive the other actuated arm therebetween, while similarly, .the actuating arms 16 and 18 may likewise be either bifurcated as may be either of the actuating links 28 and 30.

Associated with the tong assembly is a pair of cables having vertically extending parallel portions 40 and 42. The cable having the portion 40 may be regarded as the closing cable for the jaw assembly while the cable having the portion 4-2 may be regarded as the opening cable therefor. It will further be understood that either or both of these cables may be utilized as supporting means to support and lift or lower the jaws and the load carried thereby as well as to effect opening and closing movement of the jaws of the assembly as set forth hereinafter.

The closing cable having the vertical portion 40 is entrained over the pivot pins 36 and 32, then it is entrained over the pivot pin 26 and extending horizontally across the lower ends of the pair of actuating links 28 and 30, is secured as to the pivot pin 24 by which the link 30 is attached to the arm 16. It will be appreciated, however, that the extremity of this cable may be anchored to the link 30 or the arm 16 in other positions than at the pivot pin 24 thereof. Obviously, by applying a greater tension upon the cable portion 40 than upon the cable portion 42, two pivot pins 26 and 24 will be drawn to each other thereby resulting in the closing movement of the actuated arms 10 and 12.

The other cable containing the cable portion 42 which comprises the opening cable for the device extends past the pivot pins 36 and 32 on the opposite side thereof from the cable portion 40 through a pivotal guide member having a flared bore 37 (see FIGURE 5) trunnioned on the link 28 adjacent the pivot pin 32. This guide member is provided to guide the opening cable past the pivot pin 32. The cable is entrained about the sheave 38 of the pivot 14 where the arcn ate guard strip 33 (shown in dotted lines), which is welded to the lever '12 such that the strip 33 is always maintained in spaced relation to the sheave 3'8 regardless of movement to the levers 1-2 and 10, acts to insure the proper engagement of the cable 42' around the sheave 38 regardless of slackening or tensioning of the cable 42. The cable 42 extends upwardly and is secured to a pair of actuating links 28 and 30 as for example to the pivot pin 32 thereof. It will be appreciated, however, that the anchoring of the extremity of this cable will be effected upon either of the links 28 and 30 rather than upon the pivot pin 32 if desired. When the cable 421s tensioned at a greater tension than the cable 40 it will be appreciated that it will cause a movement of the two pivot pins 32 and 14 toward each other thereby spreading the actuating arms 1 and 16 and their associated links 28 and 30 to effect opening movement of the tongs.

The closed position of the tongs is shown in FIGURE 3 while the open position is shown in FIGURE 1 and it will be understood that to obtain these positions a selected one of the cables is more greatly tensioned than the other. As a result of this arrangement, when a load is carried the tongs will be retained closed by tensioning the cable portion 40 and releasing the cable portion 42 so that the cable 40 may support the entire load of the assembly as well as retaining the tongs in their closed position. Alternatively, any desired force may be imparted to the cable portion 42 to assist in supporting the load of the tongs but this force must'be less than that applied to the portion 40 to insure that the tongs will remain closed during this operation.

In order to release the tongs the cable 40 is slackened so that the weight of the tongs is carried solely by the cable 42 or at least so that the major portion of the tong weight is carried by the cable 42 to thereby effect open ing movement of the tongs.

In order to render the Wear surfaces of the tongs readily replaceable, as well as to provide wear surfaces having a particular characteristic for a given job, there are provided removable jaws upon the'actuated arms and 12. These jaws as indicated by the numenal '50 and 52 respectivelyand as shown best in FIGURE 4 each consists of an elongated body which is arcuate along its length and which has a concave surface 54 with these concave surfaces being in opposed relation. The body terminates at its lower extremity in a pointed portion 56 and upon the opposite side from that which has a concave face 54, the jaws are provided with longitudinally extending slots or channels 58. These channels receive therein the extremities of the actuated arms 10 and 12 and the jaws and arms are detachably secured together by suitable fasteners such as rivets 60 or the like.

In order to limit closing movement of the actuator jaws with respect to each other there is provided a stop means comprising :a laterally projecting member 62 carried by one of the actuated arms such as the arm 10 and which is positioned to be engaged by a stop member in the form of a pin 64 carried by the other actuated arm. Thus, as will be apparent from a consideration of FIGURE 3, engagement of the stop member and abutment member will cause a limiting of the movement of the actuated arms relative to each other.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit. the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A grapple tong assembly comprising a pair of levers, a pivot connecting said levers intermediate their ends and providing at opposite ends, or" said levers a pair of actuating arms and a pair of actuated arms, a pair of actuating links, a pivot connecting one end of each link, pivots connecting the other ends of said links each to an actuating arm, an opening cable having one end secured to said links and entrained about the lever pivot and operable upon tensioning to eflect opening of said actuated arms, a closing cable having one end secured to a pivot which connects an actuating link to an actuating arm and entrained about the other actuating link and actuating arm pivot and about said pivot connecting said actuating links together whereby said cables are disposed in sideby-side relation and tensionin-g of the closing cable will simultaneously support said assenrbly and cause closing of said actuated arm.

2. The combination of claim 1 includingpulleys on said pivots over which said cables are entrained.

3. The combination of claim 1 including an abutment on one actuated arm engageable by the other actuated arm and limiting closing movement of said actuated arms.

4. The cornbinationiof claim 1 including arcuate jaws having opposed concave surfaces and each secured to an actuated arm.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said jaws comprise elongated members having longitudinal slots in which said actuated arms are received and secured.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cables are disposed on-opposite sides ofsaid pivot connecting said actuating links together.

7. The combination of claim 1 including an abutment on one actuated arm engageable by the other actuated arm and limiting closing movement of said actuated arms, a stop mernberprojecting laterally from the other actuated arm and disposed in the path of movement of said abutment.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said pivot connecting the said one end of said actuating links together comp-rises a supporting and lifting means (for the entire tong assembly.

9. A grapple tong assembly comprising a pair of levers, a lever pivot connecting said levers intermediate their ends and providing at opposite ends of said levers a pair of actuating arms and a pair of actuated arms, a pair of actuating links, a link pivot interconnecting one end of each link, pivots connecting the other ends of said links each to an actuating arm, a lifting means attached to said link pivot, an opening cable having one end'secured to said link pivot and entrained about the lever pivot and operable upon 'tensioning to effect opening of said actuated arms, a cable guide mounted on and extending laterally from one lactuated arm between said actuated arms in spaced relation from the lever-pivot, and .a guide means attached to one of said links and said opening cable passing through said guide means.

10. 'A grapple tong assembly comprising aplairof levers, a lever pivot connecting said levers intermediatetheir ends and providing at opposite ends of said levers a pairof actuating arms and a pair of actuated arms, a pair of actuating links, a link pivot interconnecting one end of each link, pivots connecting the other ends of said links each to an actuating arm, a lifting means attached to said link pivot, an opening cable having one end secured to said link pivot, a portion of said cable extending downwardly and entrained about the lever pivot and another portion extending upwardly past the link pivot, said portions being in a crossed relationship between the link pivot and lever pivot, and a guide means attached to one of said links for guiding the opening cable past the link pivot.

11. A grapple tong assembly comprising apair of levers, a pivot connecting said lever intermediate their ends and providing at opposite ends of said levers a pair of actuatin-g arms and a pair of actuated arms, a pair of actuating links, a link pivot interconnecting one end of each link, pivots connecting the other ends of said links each to one actuating arm, a lifting means attached to said link pivot, a cable means for operatively altering the distance between the link pivot and the lever pivot to effect an opening of the actuating .arms, a guide means mounted on and ex,-

tending laterally from one actuated arm between said actuated arms in spaced relation from the lever pivot and a guide means to guide 'said cable means past the link pivot.

12. The structure as defined in claim 11 'Wherein said guide means is in the form of a pivotally mounted sleeve having a bore extending therethrough With outwardly flared end portions receiving the cable for guiding during linear movement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Morris 294--1 12 X Waknitg 2941 12 X Priest 2941'18 Lindberg 2941 11 HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. A GRAPPLE TONG ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PAIR OF LEVERS, PIVOT CONNECTING SAID LEVERS INTERMEDIATE THEIR ENDS AND PROVIDING AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID LEVERS A PAIR OF ACTUATING ARMS AND A PAIR OF ACTUATED ARMS, A PAIR OF ACTUATING LINKS, A PIVOT CONNECTING ONE END OF EACH LINK, PIVOTS CONNECTING THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID LINKS EACH TO AN ACTUATING ARM, AN OPENING CABLE HAVING ONE END SECURED TO SAID LINKS AND ENTRAINED ABOUT THE LEVER PIVOT AND OPERABLE UPON TENSIONING TO EFFECT OPENING OF SAID ACTUATED ARMS, A CLOSING CABLE HAVING ONE END SECURED TO A PIVOT WHICH CONNECTS AN ACTUATING LINK TO AN ACTUATING ARM AND ENTRAINED ABOUT THE OTHER ACTUATING LINK AND ACTUATING ARM PIVOT AND ABOUT SAID PIVOT CONNECTING SAID ACTUATING LINKS TOGETHER WHEREBY SAID CABLES ARE DISPOSED IN SIDEBY-SIDE RELATION AND TENSIONING OF THE CLOSING CABLE WILL SIMULTANEOUSLY SUPPORT SAID ASSEMBLY AND CAUSE CLOSING OF SAID ACTUATED ARM. 